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Karen Ghio has never lost a bird, with the exception of Twinkle Has No Toe.

 

Twinkle lost his toe in an unfortunate garage door accident and now lives at the neighbor's house. Ghio's children suspect he ran away because he couldn't attract a mate as an amputee.

 

Ghio, owner of Lauril's Loft White Dove Release, still has 28 more homing pigeons (rock doves), which are trained to return to Ghio's farm.

 

Real white ring-neck doves do not have a homing instinct and are not used in releases.

 

Ghio, 37, named her business after her two children, Lauren, 7, and Riley, 9. She involves both kids in the business and plans to turn it over to them when they reach high school age.

 

"It was a really positive way to teach children the basics of a small business," Ghio said.

 

Traditionally, white doves are released at weddings and funerals. Ghio wants to move into special events as well.

 

At funerals, one dove typically is released and represents the person who has passed away. At weddings, the doves, which mate for life, often represent the bride and groom and symbolize peace and love.

 

"It's a very powerful, emotional visual for people on either the happiest day of their life or the saddest," Ghio said.

 

White dove releases are getting more popular, said Lee Gilley, director of the National White Dove Release Society in Kentucky, although the trade organization does not have national figures.

 

"It's growing by leaps and bounds," Gilley said. "People are starting to work (releases) in with everything."

 

The feeling of holding and releasing a bird is magical, Gilley said.

 

"They're like potato chips," he added - you can't stop with one.

 

Ghio bought her first pigeons as a hobby for her husband in 2003. After researching releases on the Internet, Ghio decided to go into business part time.

 

She purchased 15 birds and began to train them to home to their loft. The business and the family suffered a devastating loss eight months later when a wild mink savagely attacked the birds, killing all but three.

 

After making sure the mink threat was gone, Ghio purchased 15 more birds. She breeds the birds and now has 28 homing pigeons. The birds can cost up to $25 and food costs roughly $40 month. Although Ghio has not made a profit, she expects to break even this year.

 

But Ghio isn't counting on the business for income; it's more of a hobby. "It's worth it to me ... just seeing people react to the birds being released and what it means to them," Ghio said.

 

Sandee Muljat of Bellingham asked Ghio for a dove release at her father-in-law's February funeral.

 

"When they released it, it was just a beautiful thing," Muljat said. "Very touching and memorable. It just added an extra element to the service that was so different and special."

 

SERENA LEI

THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Lauril’s Loft

White Dove Release

 

Let your love take flight!

The Bellingham Herald          July 31, 2005

Lauril’s Loft White Dove Release

2400 Franklin St.

Bellingham, WA 98225

 

Phone & Fax: (360) 778-1392

Cell: (360) 739-0072

E-mail: Kghio@comcast.net

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